Return to the Island
by Victoria Ivy Bennet
Summary: What happens if Hook found the Darling residence two years after Peter got the children home instead of twenty? And what will happen to the friends spending the night at the Darlings, who have been on strange adventures before? (Return to Neverland, Peter Pan, Alice in Wonderland, Treasure Island/Planet, Pinocchio, & Jungle Book 2 belong to Disney; Books to their respective owners)
1. Kidnapped!

Wendy gazed out of the window, like she did every night, hoping that he would come. She glanced back into the quiet room, everyone else was sound asleep. Before she knew it, weariness began to take over, and she drifted into a sweet slumber. However, something startled her awake for the next thing she knew she was glancing around the room before turning her attention back to the open window. She bent over the railing, hoping it was just him, playing a game as always. But then, there was a creak behind her. She whirled around, and gasped.  
"Hello, Wendy," the dark man grinned. A pirate was right behind her, gagging her, whilst another came forward with a bag.  
"Sorry, about this, miss," Mr. Smee whispered as he pulled the bag over her.  
"Quickly Smee, we have to get back in time to waken the beast," mumbled Hook as he waved out of the window. The Jolly Roger appeared from above, leveling the plank with the window. Hook walked across the plank, followed by the pirate carrying Wendy, and finally Mr. Smee.  
"What is it now, Smee?" Hook turned on his first mate.  
"Oh, sorry, Captain, I thought I heard something. Probably just the one of the children moving around in their sleep," replied Smee.  
"Fine, bring her up!" Hook ordered. The men set to work getting the Jolly Roger to rise back into the sky, and back to Neverland. There was a hole in the bag, giving Wendy a chance to see their progress. Before she knew it, they were landing in the sea by Mermaid's Cove.  
"I brought a little surprise for you, Peter Pan," Hook chuckled at her side. "This is simply perfect! With Wendy as bait, we shall lure Peter Pan to his doom. Mr. Smee, summon the beast!"  
"Aye, aye, Cap'n! Right away! O-oh, yo ho, another plan, to try to capture Peter Pan, Captain Hook's a brilliant man! Who else could think of the perfect crime, and bumble and fumble it every time," sang Smee.  
"Smee!" shouted Hook, causing the first mate to stumble, sending a bucket-full of fish parts over the ship's railing. Regaining his composure, Hook ordered, "Set the bait!" Wendy, still in the bag, was tied to the ship's fore boom, dangling over the water. Hook set about fixing his hat, "Make no doubt, Smee, that wretched boy will be but a notch in my scabbard."

"Only in your dreams, Hook!" shouted a voice, as Hook's hat disappeared from the top of his head.  
"Pan!" shouted Hook as a flash of green sliced through the main sail.

"Hiya Captain, did you miss me?" the redhead grinned, cutting apart Hook's hat.  
"Actually, I have something for you," grumbled Hook.  
"A present, for me? Aw, you shouldn't have."  
"Consider it a token of me affection. It's an old friend of yours," sneered Hook.  
"Who?" Peter asked.  
"Wendy," Hook snickered.  
"Wendy!? Let her go, Hook!" Peter shouted, going after the pirate.  
"Peter, it's a trap!" shouted Wendy.  
"Yes, it's a trap, and you just walked into it, boy!" Hook threw his sword at some rope, cutting it. Wendy fell screaming into the ocean, Peter and Tinkerbell following, where the beast, a large octopus, was waiting.


	2. Safe Haven

"I did it, I actually did it!" Hook exclaimed as only Peter's hat emerged from the inky waters. "I am finally free of that insolent youth! Smee, who is the most brilliant, bold, and brazen buccaneer to ever sail the briny blue?"  
"Uh, Blackbeard?" Smee guessed.  
Hook turned back to glance at the sea, sighing, then banged Smee on the head with his hook. Turning to the crew, Hook asked, "Boys?"  
"Hook, Hook, Hook!" chanted the crew.  
"Thank you, thank you, it was only a matter of time before I came up with this most brilliant plan," Hook grinned. A crow from behind him caused him to pause and whirl around.  
"Did you miss me Captain?"  
"Pan! But how did you escape the beast?" As if in answer to Hook's question, Tink used her pixie dust to bring up the bewildered octopus and dropped it smack dab onto the pirate captain. Hook managed to get out of its jaws, but it was too late, the creature had gotten a taste of Hook and was licking its chops. It chased after Hook around the ship before Hook and it crashed through the deck rails and into the ocean. Hook was caught by the octopus, but he was snapped from his tentacles into the plank and back on board the ship. He finally landed in the galley with Smee. "Smee, be a good lad and fix the plank. So I can make you walk IT!" Hook shouted from below.

Peter chuckled and brought Wendy over to a nearby rock to free her from her bonds. "Hey Wendy, you should have seen the look on Hook's face when we dropped the octopus on him."  
"Well, I could see a bit. What's wrong, Peter?" He was looking at her rather intently, and Tink wasn't looking to happy about it either. "Uh, is there something wrong?" she inquired.  
"Oh, uh no . . . not really, just, um." Peter was interrupted by a cannon blast, and managed to get himself and Wendy out of the way before it crashed into the brush behind them.  
"Pan, come back here and fight like a man!" Hook roared from the Jolly Roger.

"Then come and get me, you codfish!" Peter jeered back. Then, after getting Wendy on his back, he zoomed out of range of the cannon fire, Hook's shouts following them.  
""So, Wendy, how long has it been? You're still a child, right?" Peter asked her as he flew over the island.  
"Yes, it's only been two years Peter, so I'm fourteen now. Though, in another four years, I will be a grown-up. I'm kind of glad Hook captured me, I got to see you again," Wendy said, snuggling into Peter's back.  
"Two years? You look different though," Peter said.  
"Not that much different, I have grown some, of course, but not much. Was that what you were wondering about earlier?" Wendy asked him.  
"Yeah, kind of, your hair's longer, for one thing, and you're, uh . . . prettier," Peter mumbled the last part.  
"What? Oh!" Wendy screamed as Tink pushed her off Peter's back, the fairy giggling as the girl fell to the ground. She didn't get to enjoy it much as Peter took off after Wendy and caught her in his arms.  
"Hey, um, I'm sure the Lost Boys will be glad to see you," grinned Peter.  
"Yes, and I would be glad to see them," Wendy smiled.  
"Well then, let's go see them!" said Peter, taking off, this time keeping Wendy close so as not to give Tink another chance to endanger her life.

"Oh, Peter, it's simply lovely!" exclaimed Wendy, when she saw the new hide-out.  
"Yeah, isn't it great? You can't see it from the ground, you have to fly in order to find it. Unless you already know where it is," beamed Peter.

Wendy returned his smile, before her stood the reason for Peter's two-year absence, a tree-house located snugly amid the branches of a giant oak. He then showed her the two entrances, one located at the base of the tree for those who didn't fly as often as Peter, and one that looked like a regular door that was attached to the tree-house itself. When they got inside, Peter gave a shrill whistle. The clamor of six pairs of feet answered, followed by greetings and delightful hugs.  
"Hi Wendy! It's been a while! What do you think of the new hideout?" the boys said.  
"Whoa, let her see the rest of it before you ask her that," Peter said.  
Wendy chuckled, "Well, from what I have already seen, it's lovely! And you have a nice view of Neverland, especially the Jolly Roger."  
"Yup, that's why I got there so quickly today, I knew Hook had to have been up to something when he returned," Peter boasted.  
"So, Peter, can we show her the rest of the tree-house?" the Lost Boys asked their prestigious leader.  
"Sure, we'll all show her," grinned Peter.

"What about us? We'd like to see it too," came a voice. The group whirled around to view the second entrance. Wendy gasped when she saw the new arrivals.


	3. New Friends

"John, Michael, Alice, Jim, Pinocchio! How did you get here?" Wendy rushed to hug her brothers and their friends.  
"Oh, quite easy, in fact. What with Hook not looking and Jim's expertise," began John.  
"Jim's expertise?" Peter interrupted.  
"Yes, Jim has dealt with Long John Silver and his pirate crew. Oh, how rude of us, we haven't properly introduced you yet! Well, these are our friends, Jim Hawkins, Alice Liddell, and Pinocchio Guiseppe. And these guys are Peter Pan and his Lost Boys, Slightly, Nibs, Cubby, Tootles, and the Twins," John introduced them.  
"Hey, you forgot me!" chirped a voice near Pinocchio.  
"Who said that?" asked John as the children glanced around the room.  
"That would be me, Jiminy Cricket, conscience extraordinaire," replied the voice, hopping out of Pinocchio's pocket. Everyone stared at the cricket.  
"Cool, a talking cricket! Can I keep him?" a young voice broke the stillness.  
"Ranjan!" scolded a girl's voice.  
"But it's really cool, Shanti! Where did you find him, Pinocchio?" the little boy named Ranjan asked Pinocchio.  
"Well, uh, actually, he found me, and he acted as my conscience until I became a real boy," replied Pinocchio.  
"A real boy!" cried the Lost Boys.  
"What do you mean by that? What were you before you were a real boy?" inquired Peter.  
"I was a wooden puppet. I was given life by the Blue Fairy," replied Pinocchio. There was complete silence as everybody besides the Darlings, Jim, and Alice, stared at him.  
"Oh, and I've been to Wonderland. I actually wanted to ask you about that, Peter. Could you take me there?" Alice broke the silence with her question.  
"Wait, say what? Wonderland? Never heard of it," said Peter.  
"Is Neverland the only island in this sea?" she wondered.  
"No, I've flown over the other lands, though I've never landed. I might have flown over your Wonderland and never knew about it. The best people to ask would be the mermaids, they've traveled all over the ocean and come back with tons of gossip, I've just never asked them about the other islands. But first, I want to hear about how Pinocchio became a real boy, how Jim dealt with Silver's pirates, and your adventures in Wonderland, then we'll go ask the mermaids and go from there," came Peter's plan of action.  
"Before we visit the mermaids, maybe I could tell them my adventures as well, John was particularly interested," remarked a dark-skinned boy.  
"Yes, they definitely sound interesting, especially since you're able to talk to the animals, Mowgli," John turned to the scrawny boy.  
"You've already met?" Wendy asked.  
"Of course they did, Mowgli, Shanti, Ranjan, and Tiger Lily are the only ones from the tribe who know where the secret entrance is. Before we start listening to stories, tell me, why did you come anyway?" Peter asked the Indians.  
"Oh, there was a rumor that Hook had the perfect plan to destroy you. Chief Great Big Little Panther just wanted us to come and make sure everybody was alright. We told him if we were away for a long time that meant you were fine, so we can have as many stories as we'd like," grinned Mowgli.  
Peter chuckled, "Well, as you can see, that codfish's perfect plan failed. Let's get started, I want to hear Pinocchio's story first."  
"Alright, well, it all began when I came into being. My eyes opened for the first time, and the first thing I saw was this lovely lady dressed in blue. She introduced herself as the Blue Fairy, and she was the one who introduced Jiminy Cricket to me." Pinocchio continued his story as everyone got comfortable to listen to a tale of a boy, his mistakes, and the consequences of his actions, with a few side notes from a cricket.


	4. Sharing Stories

"And if Peter Pan hadn't found us in time, we would have all drowned in that flood. So that's how our village came to be relocated to Neverland," said Mowgli.

"Wow," came a chorus of voices when Mowgli finished his narrative.  
"Are Bagheera and Baloo here as well?" John asked.  
"Yeah, they are, but not because of Peter Pan, it was actually all thanks to Hook that they got here," replied Mowgli.  
"Really? Was this while he was searching for the perfect animal to destroy Peter Pan?" asked Wendy.  
"Yup, he came across Baloo, Bagheera, Shere Khan, and Kaa, and thought they were all perfect. However, Baloo told me that they landed on the mainland for supplies before heading back to Neverland, and, strangely, it was there that Hook and his men started understanding all of them. Baloo, Bagheera, and Kaa told him right away that they refused to help him, while Shere Khan said he would help in a way, but that he wouldn't kill Peter Pan. Well, Kaa decided to stay on the mainland, while Baloo and Bagheera snuck back on board the Jolly Roger so that they could protect Peter and myself from Hook and Khan, and so, they're here," explained Mowgli.  
"Did they find out the name of the country they landed in?" Alice asked.  
"Oh, yeah, it was called Oz, and Kaa really liked how the people treated him, so that's why he stayed. Glad to know that a friend is there, he can send help if we need it," commented Mowgli.  
"How would we send word to them that we're in trouble?" Jim asked.  
"Either a fairy or a mermaid can take the message, they're fast," replied Mowgli. Everyone nodded.

"Sorry it wasn't Wonderland, Alice," said Pinocchio.  
"That's OK, but it should be close to Oz then if the animals can talk. Animals can talk in Wonderland as well," explained Alice.  
"Well then, what are we waiting for! Let's go find Wonderland and have an adventure!" exclaimed Peter. The group cheered.  
"But we can't, it's practically dark out. Besides, we should all get a good night's sleep if we're going for an adventure," Wendy pointed out.  
"Aw, but I don't want to go to sleep," yawned Michael.  
"You certainly sound like you need it, what with all the excitement of sneaking onto the Jolly Roger and remaining unseen until we could get off, then listening to all these stories, a good night's sleep sounds pretty good right now," said Jim, stretching.  
"Oh, alright, fine, we'll get some sleep, then we'll go early in the morning. Mowgli, if you, Ranjan, Shanti, and Tiger Lily want to come with us, meet us tomorrow morning by Hangman's Tree," said Peter.  
"We won't miss it, See you tomorrow!" Mowgli, Ranjan, and Shanti waved to their new friends before disappearing down the secret tunnel.  
"Alright everyone, time for bed. The earlier we go to sleep, the earlier we can get up and get ready for our adventure," Wendy told the children.  
"Alright!" came a chorus.  
"Oh, Peter, where are we to sleep?" Wendy asked.  
"Follow me, I'll show you to the guest rooms," said Peter, flying through the treehouse. Before long, everyone was sound asleep.

The next morning, everyone was up and about in a hurry, then they all left for Hangman's Tree. It wasn't long before some tan-skinned children came out to greet them.  
"This is going to be great! Our first official adventure with Peter Pan and the Lost Boys!" grinned Ranjan.  
"It sure is!" Mowgli grinned back.  
"So, is everybody ready?" asked Peter.  
"Yes!" was the unanimous response.  
"Alright then, Tink, sprinkle some dust. And remember, think happy thoughts!" Soon, everyone was joining Peter in the sky, everyone, that is, except for one.


	5. Can't Fly!

"Alice, what's wrong? We've been trying this all morning!" Pinocchio looked at her with worry, after catching her for the umpteenth time. He set her down gently on the ground.

"I-I don't know! I keep thinking happy thoughts, but I can't seem to get off the ground!" whimpered Alice.

"Are you sure they're happy thoughts? If they really are, then you could fly," Peter said.

"Oh, Peter!" Wendy scolded as Alice took off through the forest, crying.

"But it's true! Maybe she's doesn't even have happy thoughts," Peter responded.

"Peter! She does! But now she's so upset at not being able to fly that she can't think of happy thoughts. We should find her, and try again tomorrow," said Wendy as she went off in the direction her friend took.  
"Alright, groups of two or three, holler when you've found her! I'll think of something to cheer her up!" Peter ordered before following Wendy through the trees.  
"Aye aye, sir!" replied the chorus of voices, before they too rushed into the trees, shouting Alice's name.

Alice kept running until a peculiar sound made her stop. It sounded like someone was crying, or at least attempting to cry. She followed the sound to a small clearing where someone was hunching over a stump. It was from them that the crying sounds came. "Um, excuse me, are you alright?" Alice asked the person. She shrieked and jumped back when the mourner looked at her. It was Captain Hook!

"Oh, woe is me, I will never look upon my mother's face again!" cried Hook, showing her a quick glance of a picture of his mother. Though Alice got a quick glance, she thought his mother looked absolutely horrid; two hooks, a mustache much like Hook's, her white hair in a messy bun, and a mole on her right cheek.

"You've been trying to get back to your mother? But why didn't you go to her instead of kidnapping Wendy?" Alice inquired. Though her feelings were all over the place, she knew how to keep a cool head.

"Because Peter Pan has my treasure!" Hook replied.

"Couldn't you have traded Wendy for the treasure?"  
"Uh, I thought about that, but Pan would think it funny to come back and steal it after the trade," grumbled Hook.

"Oh, I see, guess you two aren't that different after all," muttered Alice.  
"Say what? Oh, don't worry about it. Listen, I have a proposition for you."  
"What is it?" Alice eyed him suspiciously.

"I was passing by, and I saw your whole ordeal. You help me get my treasure, I'll take you to Wonderland, and back home, if you'd like," Hook blurted.

"Just your treasure, nothing else? No revenge on Peter, or anything like that?" Alice asked.

"If I could go to my mother with at least one accomplishment, that would be enough. In case you hadn't noticed, my last attempt to kill Pan didn't go as planned," grumbled Hook.

"So, I find your treasure for you, then you'll take me to Wonderland and back home?"

"Yes, all you have to do is blow this whistle when you find the treasure, me and my boys will come right away," said Hook, handing her a shiny whistle.

"You promise that you and your men will not touch Peter or any of his friends if they show up?" Alice asked.

"I promise that not a single man of my crew, myself included, will touch Peter or his friends if you blow that whistle, cross my heart," Hook said solemnly, raising his hook and placing his hand over his heart. "Now, my dear, if you'll excuse me, I must be off to prepare my crew for treasure gathering and our departure. Good day." And he slunk back into the shadows of the forest, leaving Alice alone with the whistle.

"Well, it's worth a try. I'll try flying again, and if it still doesn't work, I'll give this a try, and I'll do it when Peter and the others are away," reasoned Alice, placing the whistle in her skirt pocket. She then looked around, "Oh dear, I'm lost. Well, if I just start walking, I'll run into someone soon." With that said, she walked off in what she thought a good direction, which was a good direction indeed, for it was getting her further and further away from two pairs of evil-looking eyes that were peering at her from the shadows.

"You sure this will work?" asked a voice that belonged to one pair of eyes as soon as she was out of range.

"More so than my last idea. Besides, I have you to help with my back-up plan, Shere Khan," replied Hook, glancing down at the tiger.

"Ah yes, which I need to get underway if it needs to work," remarked Khan as he stealthily moved through the trees.

"A good idea, my friend, a good idea," said Hook, as he moved off in the opposite direction.


	6. Mermaid Lagoon

"Alice! Alice! Where are you? It's not safe being by yourself!" called out a young voice. Alice rushed towards the sound of the voice.

"I'm over here!" she shouted in reply. A couple of seconds later she burst through the foliage and came face to face with Pinocchio.

"There you are! Are you alright?" he asked as he kept her from falling.

"Yeah, just a little tired is all," she smiled in response.

"Alright, well, rest for a bit, but we've got to get going soon. Jim's over at Mermaid Lagoon, he got some help from a mermaid to find you," Pinocchio told her.

"Really? Wendy said that the mermaids are completely horrid and will only help out Peter Pan, if they felt like it," Alice said.

"Well, this mermaid's different. You'll see when you meet her. Oh yes, before I forget. Hey, I found her!" Pinocchio shouted the last bit at the top of his lungs. Various whoops and shouts followed, scattered across the island.

"Stay where you are, we'll come to you!" came a shout.

"Alright!" Pinocchio shouted back.

"Well, I guess I can't meet this mermaid then," Alice said, feeling a little down.  
"Oh, you can, Mermaid Lagoon isn't that much further. Do you think you've rested enough to walk the last little bit to the lagoon?" asked Pinocchio.

"I think so, especially if it's not that far," replied Alice. Pinocchio held out his hand to help her up, then led the way to Mermaid Lagoon. It wasn't too hard to find Jim, he was sitting on a rock close to shore, the only other person there was a red-headed mermaid casually chatting with him. When he noticed Pinocchio and Alice, he waved them over.  
"Good job, Pinocchio, you found her!" Jiminy exclaimed, jumping from Jim's shoulder to Pinocchio's.

"Yeah, well, I'm glad we found her before anything happened to her," Pinocchio smiled at his little friend. Alice began feeling restless, she wasn't sure if she should tell them of her encounter with Hook or not, but that decision was quickly pushed to the side when she got a better look at the mermaid. She had long, wavy, red hair, deep blue eyes, and was wearing a purple, lacy shirt. Alice couldn't see her tail very well in the water, but she could see flashes of something and wasn't sure if it was pink, blue, or green.

"Um, thank you so much for helping them look for me. I hope it wasn't too much trouble," Alice told her.

"Oh, not at all, I'm glad to have been able to help and bring those lazy mermaids to shame. Well, I hope it brought them to shame, they're so vain they probably didn't even notice," sighed the mermaid. "Besides, I wanted to see more of the island, so it's perfectly fine. I just wish I could get on land, then I can see more of it. Jim's been kind enough to tell me as much as he can, but considering that he hasn't seen the whole island yet, he can only give me a limited description. Thanks for telling me what you do know, though," the mermaid turned to Jim.

"Oh, no problem, just wish I could tell you more," Jim replied.

"Maybe you can later, when you've explored more of the island," the mermaid told him, batting her eyelashes at him.

"Alice!" cried a voice from behind. Alice soon found herself being hugged by Wendy. "Are you alright?"

"Oh, yes, perfectly fine, thank you. I'm sorry if I made everyone worry about me. It was perfectly selfish and silly of me to create a scene like that," Alice said apologetically.

"Oh no, we shouldn't have pushed so hard on you. Listen, there will be no more flying lessons today, alright? We'll go back to the tree-house, get some rest, and we'll try again tomorrow. We'll figure it out as we go," Wendy told her. Alice didn't get to answer her for at that moment they were instantly surrounded by the rest of the children, asking if she was alright.

"You didn't run into any wild animals, did you?" came Mowgli's question.

"No, I didn't see even one," replied Alice.

"Not even Hook, or any of his pirates?" asked Peter. There was silence as he landed in the middle of the crowd of youngsters.

"Uh, I didn't run into any trouble at all," replied Alice, a bit hesitantly.

Peter looked at her for a minute before speaking, "OK then, well, I just wanted to say I'm sorry for pushing too hard. I didn't realize that thinking of happy thoughts might be hard for you if you're trying too hard. So, I figured we'd go treasure hunting instead!" His face beamed when the children cheered.

"Great, Jim should be able to find it in no time!" exclaimed John.

"No, I won't, I don't know the island very well, and there's no map or clues as to where it is, like my last treasure hunt," remarked Jim.

"Why do you even need a map or clues?" Peter asked.

"Well, Captain Flint, the pirate who buried the treasure, needed to remember where he buried it so he could go back and find it again. Besides, it's more fun that way," stated Jim.

"We've always done it my way, and the Lost Boys always have fun," said Peter.

"Actually, I kind of want to try it the way Jim did it, with clues and all. It does sound like a lot of fun," commented John. Several of the children agreed.

"But I've already hid the treasure," grumbled Peter, glaring at Jim.

"Well then, how's this? We'll go find it using your way today, and tomorrow I'll do it my way and hide it," said Jim. The children nodded their agreement, then glanced at Peter for his response.

"Oh alright, we'll do it your way tomorrow. It'll actually be nice to get to look for it without knowing where it is already," grinned Peter.

"Oh, she's gone!" exclaimed Alice.

"Who's gone?" Wendy asked.

"The mermaid!" said Jim, realizing what Alice meant.

"What mermaid?" asked Peter, as he watched Jim, Alice, and Pinocchio looking around the rock Jim had been sitting on.

"There was a mermaid here not too long ago. Didn't you see her when you showed up?" Alice asked. Everyone else said that they hadn't noticed.

"Oh, and we didn't get her name either," Alice sighed.

"Actually, I did, it's, uh, it's . . . oh great, I forgot it. Well, I think it was something like Mary, but it wasn't pronounced like that. She did say that she'd be around, maybe we'll run into her again later and we'll know for sure," stated Jim.

"Probably, mermaids are coming and going, there's definitely a chance you'll run into her again. Anyway, we have treasure to find, so let's get going!" shouted Peter as he flew into the air, leading the band of children on another adventure.


	7. Treasure Hunt

Alice grunted as she scrambled over rocks, trying to get to the cave, its gaping mouth beckoning to her. She slowed her progress as she drew closer, trying to curb her excitement in the name of caution. Though, as she found as she peeked into the cave, there was no need for caution as there was nothing in the cave but rocks and a chest. Alice still curbed her excitement as she crept towards the chest. She pushed open the lid and gasped as the gold and jewels played with the sunlight streaming in through a hole at the top of the cave. Alice gave a little squeal and was about to shout, when a thought made her pause. She reached into her skirt pocket and pulled out the whistle Hook gave her. She looked at it for a few minutes, a little debate going on in her head. No, I won't help Hook. That whole bit about his mother was probably a lie anyway. She tossed the whistle into the water, then waited a bit before shouting with glee, "I found it! I found the treasure!" Several whoops and shouts of joy answered as the owners of the voices descended on the cave. For the second time that day, Alice found herself surrounded by her friends, jumping for joy over the find. A crow alerted them to the arrival of the final member of their party.

"Great job Alice! Who's up for playing with the treasure?" Peter glanced around the room at the eager faces.

"Me, me!" answered a chorus of voices. They dove into the treasure, squealing and laughing, coming up with all sorts of ideas of what to do with certain objects. Several of the larger jewels were turned into balls for toss, while the girls went about playing dress-up with the various jewelry pieces. They were so busy playing that they hadn't notice Tootles wander off a bit out of the cave and pick something up from the water. The next thing they knew, a shrill whistle startled their funtime.

"No!" screamed Alice, once she realized what Tootles had, but it was too late as cruel laughter echoed throughout the cave in answer to the whistle. Alice, Wendy, Mowgli, and Shanti were quickly grabbed and their hands were bound behind them while the rest of the children found themselves in a large canvas bag.

"Hey, let go!" yelled Peter as two pirates lassoed his wrists and began pulling him closer to the ground, where Hook was standing. With a wave of his arm, two pirates picked up the treasure chest and took it out of the cave, while two more dragged the canvas bag full of children after them. The pirates who had Wendy, Alice, Mowgli, and Shanti by the arms pulled them closer to their captain, who was locking the chains on Peter.

"Thank you, my dear, we couldn't have done it without you," Hook sneered at Alice.

"Alice?" Alice glanced into the eyes of her friends, and her heart sank, realizing that she would lose their trust after what she was going to say.

"But you promised not to touch them!"

"Only if you blew the whistle. If I remember correctly, it was one of the Lost Boys who blew it, not you. Oh don't worry, we're still going to Wonderland, it's just that you won't be coming back," Hook grinned evilly. "Take them to the dinghies, we're setting sail!" Hook's crew cheered, and hurried up to leave.

"I thought you said you didn't run into anyone! I thought we could trust you!" Peter growled at Alice as the two of them were made to sit in a dinghy alongside Wendy, Mowgli, and Shanti.

"I didn't agree to the deal, but I know I shouldn't have kept the whistle with me. I'm sorry," Alice whispered. The rage on Peter's face told her that he wasn't ready to forgive her yet as the dinghies were pushed out to sea. The two then heard a gasp from Wendy, and looked up at her.

Her words were whispered to the other four captives, bringing a little hope, "Jim's still at the cave."


	8. Jim's Help

Jim tore through the forest, calling out, "Baloo! Bagheera! Baloo! Bag-ahh!"

"Bag-ahh? Never heard that nickname before, and don't you start calling me that either, Baloo," remarked a dark form as it gracefully jumped down from a tree and was joined by a great big bear.

"Oh, alright, Baggy, I like my nickname for you better anyway," said the bear.

"By the way, why were you calling for us?" Bagheera turned to Jim.

"Has something happened to Mowgli?" Baloo asked, worry tinting his voice.

Jim nodded, "Hook managed to surround us and captured everyone but me. I had gotten behind some rocks right before their ambush. When I realized what was happening, it was too late, Hook and his goons had already begun sailing back to their ship."

"Oh no, and Shere Khan has been helping Hook out, he's probably already on the ship. We need to hurry!" exclaimed Bagheera as he took off, Baloo and Jim not far behind.

"But what can we do? We don't have a boat!" Jim shouted as they raced through the forest. Neither Baloo nor Bagheera answered him until they reached a bay just south of the Indian encampment.

"We took some necessary precautions," remarked Bagheera as he and Baloo pulled out a large canoe from underneath some bushes. Without another word, the trio eased the canoe into the water and got into positions.

Jim glanced out at sea and gasped, "The pirate ship is sailing away from Neverland!"

"Uh, Baggy, we might not be able to reach them in time," remarked Baloo as Bagheera started paddling with his paws.

"Then help me paddle, you big idiot. With Jim steering, we might be able to catch up," stated Bagheera. But despite the trio's efforts, the pirate ship pulled further and further away from them.

"No!" shouted Jim, but since there were no oars, there wasn't much he could do to help.

"Great Baggy, now what? This would have only worked if the pirate ship stayed still. Not to mention we have no clue where they are going," remarked Baloo.

"Maybe we can help with that," said a voice.

"Jiminy! Mary!" exclaimed Jim, looking over the side of the boat.

The mermaid giggled, "It's Mayre, Jim, glad to see you too."

"Oh, sorry, Mayre. Where did you find Jiminy?" Jim asked, taking the cricket from her.

"In the ocean, where the pirate ship was anchored," she replied.

"How did that happen?" asked Bagheera.

"Well, the children already noticed that you weren't with us, Jim, so they asked me to find you and see if we could get help. I jumped out of Pinocchio's pocket as they were getting the children out of that canvas bag, and quickly found a place to hide, so I could hear as much of their plans as possible before I jumped overboard. A good thing too, otherwise I would have missed a vital piece of information," explained Jiminy.

"What's that?" asked Baloo.

"None of the children are to be harmed until they've reached Wonderland," replied Jiminy. Jim gasped, causing the others to glance at him.

"Why Wonderland?" Bagheera asked.

"Alice has been in Wonderland before," muttered Jim.

"What? Your friend Alice is the girl who's been to Wonderland? This is worse than I thought," exclaimed Mayre.

"How so?" Jim asked, a look of concern on his face.

"The Queen of Hearts still wants her head!" exclaimed Mayre.

Jim's eyes grew wide, "We have got to reach that ship before they reach Wonderland!"

"But how are we going to do that? Baggy and I can barely keep up," remarked Baloo.

"I have an idea. Have some rope tied to the stern of the boat and have it ready to toss to me when I get back!" exclaimed Mayre before she dove into the sea. Jim grabbed the coil of rope and set to work, with some help from Jiminy. When Mayre's red head broke the surface of the ocean a little while later, everything was set. She took the rope and dove again, resurfacing a few minutes later. "Some friends of mine will pull you all the way to Wonderland. It will take all night, but at least you can get some sleep and be ready to fight them. I'm going to see if some of my other friends can help. I better get going, I'll see you in Wonderland!" With that, she took off, Jim watching her form disappear into the water.

"Nice girl," remarked Jiminy.

"Yeah, she is," remarked Jim absent-mindedly. Not another word could be said for then the boat lurched forward and Mayre's friends pulled the boat in chase of the Jolly Roger. Before long, darkness fell and one by one, were rocked to sleep. One thought passed through Jim's mind as his eyelids responded to the call of sleep. _Hang on, guys, we're on our way_.


	9. Wonders

Villainous laughter and childish whimpers met Peter's ears as he looked down upon the chaos. The pirates had been dragging the children from below deck and tying most of them to the main mast. Wendy, Mowgli, Shanti, and Alice were made to sit on chairs, guarded by a very patient tiger. Peter then locked eyes with Hook who was grinning smugly at his victory and glancing between Peter and Wendy. Peter caught the unspoken hint and his blood began to boil.

"Look at him, Smee, just a child, and how I loathe children. Cut him down," Hook ordered. One of the men closest to Peter sliced through a rope, and Peter fell to the deck, the anchor knocking some of his breath out.

"Let everyone else go, Hook," Peter told the pirate captain.

"Of course, everyone but Mowgli and Alice can go, right after you, one by one, off the plank!" sneered Hook, pointing down the plank. A couple of pirates then grabbed Peter and tossed him onto the plank. Peter turned and crawled a ways back to the ship before he found himself staring down several blades. Just then a trumpet call echoed over the waters, followed by a shout.

"Boat ahoy! Boat ahoy! The Queen of Hearts approaches!"

"It's about time," Hook mumbled under his breath as a boat with the Queen, the King, a White Rabbit, and several card people neared the ship. The pirates helped the small crew hoist the boat level to the deck of the ship and get the royal party on board. "Welcome aboard the Jolly Roger, Your Majesty," Hook said courteously, bowing to the Queen. The rest of his crew followed suit, awaiting the Queen's orders. But Hook and Pan both watched the Queen's eyes as she scanned the ship and lighted upon the reason for her arrival, Alice. The Queen's face turned into an evil grin as she approached the helpless girl, all the while oblivious to everyone's pleading.

"Well, my dear, did you think things would be different in Wonderland and that I had forgiven you for your insolence? You should know that there is only one way I settle my disputes. OFF WITH HER HEAD!" yelled the queen as two cards grabbed Alice and dragged her towards their boat.  
"NO, OFF WITH YOUR HEAD!" shouted a voice over the din. Everyone paused as they twisted and turned, trying to find the owner of the voice.

"No one but I can say who's head is going to be off, and once I'm done with her, YOU'RE NEXT!" the queen yelled in retaliation.

"Up here, slimeball," the voice replied in a no-nonsense tone. Everyone looked up and saw a boy hanging from the rope ladder leading up to the crow's nest, sword in hand.

"Jim!" shouted several young voices. Jim was soon joined by a bear, a panther, a fairy, and a cricket. "Baloo! Bagheera! Tink! Jiminy!" Jim looked into the faces of his friends, then nodded to his team and, with a yell, fell into battle, flanked by the bear while the panther rushed for the tiger, throwing the whole ship into chaos.


End file.
